Tired of searching for mere words on the Net? At least two search
engines will allow you to comb the Internet for sound, pictures, and
other
multimedia features--and more are expected to do the same.

In the latest example, Lycos today
introduced a service
that allows users to search for sound and picture files as well as
words.

HotBot has featured detailed
multimedia search capabilities since it was launched in May, Paul
Gauthier, Inktomi's vice president of research
and
development, said today. Inktomi provides the technology behind HotWired's HotBot,
as well as running the service.

Multimedia search engines, of course, have the same difficulties as word-based search engines. Impatient users will sometimes have
difficulty
getting what they want immediately. It also may take some time to
download the graphics.

HotBot allows users to specify searches. Surfers, for example, can
choose
the kind of picture files they want, get sound clips, or search
the
Web for Shockwave or Java.

Lycos said their technology will help experts and novices alike get
the most from the Web.

"This technology helps fulfill the true potential of the World Wide
Web," Lycos CEO Robert J. Davis said in a statement.
"The Web is a
multimedia environment, bringing us interactivity, sounds, and
visuals together across the Internet. Now, Lycos helps you find those
multimedia files more easily than ever before."